Editor's notes:Editor's notes:
TITLE: Staff Employment, Volume II of Carnegie Mellon's Staff Handbook: A Human Resources Guide
DATE OF ISSUANCE: The staff handbook was most recently revised effective July 1, 2007.
ACCOUNTABLE DEPARTMENT/UNIT: Human Resources. Questions on policy content should be directed to Barbara Smith, Associate Vice President for Human Resources, x8-4747.
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In This Section
You are expected to give your best efforts at all times toward your assigned job duties. While you are on the job, you are expected to be working, and using your time and Carnegie Mellon resources for the purpose of doing your job.
Every employee, regardless of the position held, has general responsibilities to Carnegie Mellon and its community. These responsibilities include: maintaining high standards of quality and productivity; properly caring for Carnegie Mellon equipment and property; having regular attendance; complying with all rules, regulations, policies and procedures of the university; cooperating with and respecting other members of the Carnegie Mellon community (including supervisors, co-workers, faculty and students) and their property; and generally demonstrating integrity as a Carnegie Mellon employee.
2A. Full-time/Part-time Status
Positions at Carnegie Mellon fall into one of the following categories:
The Carnegie Mellon workweek begins at 12:01 a.m. on Monday. Though most staff work from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, you may be assigned a different schedule based on your position and your department's needs.
Full-time staff members normally work 7.5 hours a day with an unpaid meal period. Part-time staff may have an unpaid meal period depending on the length of their workday.
You are expected to be at work on time and to work a full schedule each day. If illness or other problems will cause you to miss work, you are asked to notify your supervisor within the first hour of your scheduled workday. Your supervisor may ask you to provide a doctor's statement when you return to work certifying that your absence was caused by illness.
Carnegie Mellon offers flexible work schedules for staff whose work allows it consistent with the university’s organizational needs. Individual needs will be accommodated wherever possible, in keeping with the academic community's tradition of flexibility.
The policy allows you to ask your supervisor for a work schedule of 7.5 hours a day, five days a week, between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. A daily meal period of at least one half-hour must be included.
In evaluating your request, your supervisor will consider students and customers who may be affected by your work schedule, as well as the availability of other people to handle the work. A new schedule should always be confirmed in writing by your supervisor.
For more information, refer to the Policy on Flexible Working Hours available on the Web at http://www.cmu.edu/policies.
During a person's first six months in a new job, when training and interaction with co-workers are most important, the standard 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule is normally worked.
Meal periods and breaks should be coordinated with your supervisor. Meal periods are unpaid and last at least one half-hour, but not more than one hour.
Scheduled breaks are optional at Carnegie Mellon and are determined by each department. Your supervisor will know if breaks are scheduled in your area. If scheduled, breaks are limited to 15 minutes per day and are paid.
Carnegie Mellon will make every effort to maintain operations during severe weather or other emergencies to accommodate the large number of students living on campus. Everyone is expected to be at work unless the university president announces that the university is closed. If this occurs, local radio stations will report the closing, and the announcement will be posted on Carnegie Mellon's electronic bulletin board official.cmu-news. Staff members who provide primary services will be asked to work. If the university is open but you are unable to come to work because of severe weather or other emergency, you should notify your supervisor as soon as possible. If you are unable to come to work, you will be expected to use Paid Time Off (PTO). If PTO is unavailable, you will not be paid for the day.
For more information, refer to the Policy on Temporary Emergency Closing of the University available on the Web at http://www.cmu.edu/policies/.
Employment at Carnegie Mellon is employment at-will. Employment at-will may be terminated with or without cause and with or without notice at any time by the employee or Carnegie Mellon. Moreover, Carnegie Mellon reserves the right to determine, and to alter, the terms and conditions of employment (including but not limited to salary, job duties, promotions, demotions and discipline) at its sole discretion, with or without advance notice and with or without cause.
Policies set forth in this Handbook are not intended to create an express or implied contract, nor are they to be construed to constitute express or implied, contractual obligations of any kind between Carnegie Mellon and any of its employees. Moreover, none of the provisions of this Handbook alter the general principle of at-will employment at Carnegie Mellon.
The at-will term of employment can be modified only by way of a writing that is signed by an authorized representative of the university and the employee.
New staff members are hired under a six-month provisional period. During this time, the staff member determines whether or not the position meets his or her expectations, and the supervisor determines whether or not the staff member has the knowledge and skills to perform the job satisfactorily. The provisional period is a time for open communication by both parties about what is going well and what needs improvement.
Your supervisor may offer feedback on your work performance during the provisional period. In some departments, this feedback includes a formal performance review during the provisional period and another at its conclusion.
If you and your supervisor cannot resolve some area of dissatisfaction during your initial provisional period, either party may terminate the employment relationship without prior notice. A new staff member is not eligible to use the staff grievance procedure (described in the Staff Relations section) during the initial provisional period unless the issue involves alleged discrimination.
A provisional period also applies to current staff members who transfer into new positions within the same department or to a different department at the university. Since these staff members have already served an initial provisional period of employment, these staff members are eligible to use the staff grievance procedure.
Completion of the provisional period does not entitle an employee to remain employed by Carnegie Mellon for any definite period of time. Both the employee and Carnegie Mellon are free, at any time, with or without notice and with or without cause, to end the employment relationship.
3C. Intellectual Property Policy
Upon accepting employment, new staff members are required to review and sign an agreement that addresses the ownership of intellectual property. The policy reflects the following goals:
For more information, refer to Organization Announcement 307, Intellectual Property Policy available on the Web at http://www.cmu.edu/policies.
3D. Conflict of Interest/Commitment
The university's principle missions are the education of students and the generation and dissemination of knowledge. In pursuit of these missions, or as a natural outgrowth of such activities, faculty and staff often become involved in outside activities. While extramural activities benefit the university and are generally encouraged, in some circumstances such activities give rise to conflicts of interest or commitment. Conflicts of interest occur when university members are in a position to influence a decision on policy or purchases where they might directly or indirectly receive financial benefit or give improper advantage to associates. Conflicts of commitment arise when university members' involvement in outside activities interferes with their primary commitments to the university. University members should only become involved in extramural activities insofar as they advance the mission or prestige of the university and the activities do not interfere with their responsibilities to the university. The university strongly encourages university members to disclose to the appropriate dean or department head their outside commitments on a regular basis.
For more information, refer to the Policy on Conflict of Interest/Commitment available on the Web at http://www.cmu.edu/policies.
Carnegie Mellon reserves the right to search university property and personal property brought into the workplace and reserves the right to use other investigative methods, including video surveillance, as the university deems necessary. Refusal to cooperate in the conducting of a search will be considered a violation of this policy and will result in appropriate disciplinary action.
3F. No Solicitation - No Distribution Policy
An employee may not solicit for any purpose (or distribute materials or literature of any kind) to another employee(s) when either employee is on working time. Working time does not include authorized break periods, meal times or other periods during the workday when the employee is authorized not to be engaged in the performance of work duties. An employee may not distribute materials or literature in working areas at any time. Violation of these rules will subject an employee to appropriate discipline.
A staff employee may review his/her personnel file in accordance with applicable law. To do so, please contact Human Resources.
3H. Changes in Personal Information
If your address or other personal information changes, promptly notify your supervisor and your department's HREM administrator so that your records can be updated. You can also update your personal information through HR Connection, the Human Resources web-based benefits and employee information system. You can link to the HR Connection through the Human Resources home page at: http://hr.web.cmu.edu/.
The day you begin working at Carnegie Mellon as a paid, non-student staff member is your employment date. Your eligibility to participate in benefit plans, accumulation of Paid Time Off (PTO) days and other issues related to length of service at the university are based on your employment date.
Employees who end employment at Carnegie Mellon after September 1, 1989 for reasons other than those listed under "Other Involuntary Terminations" and return to paid, non-student employment within one year will not have a break in employment. You will continue to use your original employment date for determining your annual accrual of PTO days and for other issues related to length of service at the university. However, if your time away from Carnegie Mellon employment lasts for more than one year from your date of termination, your employment date will be the date you resume employment with Carnegie Mellon.
Staff members terminating employment should notify their department HREM administrator as soon as possible. In compliance with the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), once the HREM administrator terminates the employee from the Human Resources Information System, information concerning continuing participation in the university group health plan will be sent to the employee . Staff members with outstanding loans from the Credit Union are asked to contact the Credit Union at x8-2905 as soon as possible.
Upon termination, staff are expected to return their university ID card, university computer equipment, keys and other university property. If you were eligible for the transit benefit during your employment, failure to return the university ID card may result in tax consequences. No payment is made at termination for any days in any employee’s reserved sick day bank.
Voluntary Termination: Staff members who voluntarily resign from Carnegie Mellon are encouraged to give at least two weeks notice and are asked to submit a resignation letter specifying the last day of work and the reason for resignation. Exempt staff members are encouraged to provide a month's notice whenever possible. Generally, your final paycheck will include payment for accrued, unused Paid Time Off (PTO) days. (PTO is described in the Time Off and Leaves section. ) If you have used more PTO days than you've earned, the University reserves the right to subtract the value of those PTO days from your final pay. Failure to return to work at the end of an authorized leave of absence is considered a voluntary termination effective as of the employee’s last day actually worked.
Involuntary Termination: Employment with the university is at-will. Sections K through M below detail some examples of conduct and reasons that may lead to involuntary termination. These sections, however, in no way alter or eliminate the at-will status of your employment relationship with Carnegie Mellon (see Policy II.3A).
3K. Unsatisfactory Work Performance
If work performance is unacceptable, employment may be terminated.
3L. Other Involuntary Terminations
It is not possible to provide employees a complete list of every possible type of disciplinary offense. However, in order to provide employees some guidance, the following are some examples of types of conduct that are considered impermissible. Employees who engage in any misconduct or whose performance is unsatisfactory may be subject to disciplinary action, up to, and including immediate termination. Progressive discipline may be used, but is not required. The list below is intended simply to provide some examples of disciplinary offenses. Many of these disciplinary offenses are discussed in greater detail in other sections of the Handbook. Although this list gives some examples of inappropriate conduct, the list is not exhaustive and it should be remembered that employment with Carnegie Mellon is at-will (See Policy II.3A).
The university reserves the right to address any situations, including any instances of alleged misconduct, as the university deems appropriate.
On occasion, budget cutbacks, reorganizations, changes in leadership, or decreased funding lead to a reduction in the university's workforce. When this occurs, factors such as (but not necessarily limited to) skills, experience, job performance, employment history and length of service may influence decisions on eliminating jobs and terminating employment. Regular, full-time staff members who are laid off due to budget cutbacks, reorganizations, changes in leadership, or decreased funding will receive at least one month's notice in writing, or pay for one month in lieu of prior written notice or a combination of written notice and pay totaling one month.
A staff member who is laid off should contact his or her human resources representative for referral to open positions elsewhere on campus for which the employee may be qualified. The university cannot guarantee that a new position will be found.
A staff member who has been laid off may continue in a university health insurance program under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) for up to 18 months by paying the full cost of the insurance. Staff members re-employed within 12 months of layoff will retain their original employment date for purposes of calculating Paid Time Off entitlement, but no PTO is accrued during the layoff itself. Reinstatement in the retirement plan is governed by the terms of the plan. Staff terminated as a result of a layoff will be paid for accrued, unused PTO and may be eligible for unemployment compensation.
3N. Reasonable Accommodations for Disabilities
If you have a disability within the meaning of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, you may qualify for certain accommodations to enable you to perform the essential functions of your position. You are encouraged to discuss your workplace accommodation needs with your supervisor, human resources manager, the Assistant Vice President for Equal Opportunity Services or the Disability Services Manager at x8-2012 or eos@andrew.cmu.edu.
This protocol applies to employees whose job classification or position requires, as an essential job function, that they operate a vehicle on university business, and therefore possess and maintain a valid driver’s license and/or any special driving certification. Hiring supervisors should include the requirement to operate a vehicle as an essential job function only after review with Human Resources in advance of posting and recruiting for a position.
Driver’s License Verification: Human Resources has the responsibility to verify the validity of an employee’s driver’s license as a condition of employment with signed authorization from the employee. Employees who refuse authorization may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.
Defensive Driver Training-University Vehicles: This course, sponsored by the National Safety Council, is required for anyone who drives a university vehicle, or anyone who drives a personal or rental vehicle as an essential job function on behalf of the university. Employees who fail to complete this course or fail to maintain a valid driver’s license will not and cannot be issued a Pennsylvania Auto Financial Responsibility identification card required to operate a vehicle on behalf of the university and therefore will not be covered by the university’s insurance coverage. Completion of this training is required once every three years. Employees may register for this course by visiting the Environmental Health & Safety website at: http://ehs-alert.fms.bap.cmu.edu/.
Loss or Suspension/Restriction of Driver’s License: In the event of loss or suspension/restriction of the driver’s license and/or any required special driving certification, the employee must notify his/her immediate supervisor before operating a vehicle on university business but no later than 48 hours after learning of the suspension/restriction. An employee who has been charged with a violation of statutes that affects his/her driver’s license or who has his/her driving privileges suspended, revoked or barred for violating such statues, including but not limited to operating a vehicle while intoxicated, vehicular homicide or habitual violation, shall not be permitted to operate a vehicle on behalf of the university for a period of three months or until the time when the Department of Transportation or the appropriate state licensing agency restores the employee’s ability to drive, whichever occurs last. The suspension of university driving privileges shall take effect at the same time as the State imposed suspension/restriction of the driver’s license.
Disciplinary Action for Failure to Maintain a Driver’s License: An employee whose job classification or position requires the possession and maintenance of a driver’s license and/or any required special driving certification in order to perform the essential functions of the job and who subsequently had his or her license and/or special certification revoked, rescinded, suspended or the renewal denied, may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination from employment for failure to maintain the necessary qualification required for that position.
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